Broadcasting Telecasting (Jul-Sep 1955)

launched Robert Donat's career as a motion picture star. The tv series, scheduled to go into production in TPA's Hollywood studios Aug. 10, will feature George Dolenz with Faith Domergue costarring in a number of episodes. Leon Fromkess will be executive producer. Directors will be Bud Boettiche and Ray Nazarro. Atlanta Firm Buys 'Long John7 For 22 Southeastern Markets IN a transaction described as "the largest single film deal ever signed in the Southeast," CBS-TV Film Sales last week reported the sale of The Adventures of Long John Silver to Lay's Potato Chips. Atlanta, for showing in 22 markets. The agency is Liller, Neal & Battle, Atlanta. The markets bought by Lay's Potato Chips include Montgomery, Macon, Greensboro, Jacksonville, Savannah, Louisville, Tampa, Baton Rouge, Miami, Atlanta, Augusta, Charlotte, Chattanooga, Knoxville, Memphis, Nashville, Greenville, N. C; Columbia, S. C; Asheville, N. C; Greenville, S. C; Columbus, Ga.; Jackson, Miss. The series also has been sold in Chicago. Rockford, Madison, and South Bend to Dean Milk Co.. Franklin Park, 111., through Clinton E. Frank Inc., Chicago. Wilbur S. Edwards, general sales manager, CBS-TV Film Sales, pointed out the series had been set originally for a national sale before going into syndication but said that because of "a large demand by regional advertisers, as well as spot market requests, the series is now available for regional and syndicated spot market deals." Butterfield & Wolf Formed To Handle Film Properties ESTABLISHMENT of Butterfield & Wolf Inc., New York, as a company specializing in the acquisition, distribution and development of television, theatrical and non-theatrical film properties was announced last week by Alfred Butterfield and Thomas H. Wolf, chairman and president, respectively, of Information Productions Inc., producers of documentary, commercial and tv programs. First assignment of the new organization is the distribution of the feature-length film. Helen Keller in Her Story, which was introduced over CBS-TV on June 26. The new company also will supervise theatrical and tv distribution of a series of natural history films, which are being produced at Marine Studios Inc. in Florida. New employes of the expanded Information Productions-Butterfield & Wolf organization are Arthur Zegart, director-writer of CBS-TV's The Search: James A. Munves, reporter and writer for CBS-TV and The New Yorker; Helen Brown, formerly with March of Time and Sports Illustrated, and Elaine Rowe, formerly with CBS-TV. Associated Hits June Peak SALES billings by Associated Artists Productions, New York, for July exceeded those of June by more than 300%, W. Robert Rich, AAP general sales manager, reported last week. The figure established a sales record in AAP's history of tv film distribution, according to Mr. Rich. The sales volume, achieved by AAP's five offices in New York, Chicago, Los Angeles, Dallas and Atlanta, covered the company's first-run feature films, the Sherlock Holmes series, Candid Camera and Johnny Jupiter films, Hall of Fame programs and western serials. Hollywood Film Processor Builds Two-Story Annex CONSTRUCTION of a new two-story annex at Consolidated Film Industries, Hollywood film processing laboratory, begins Wednesday, it was announced last week by Sidney P. Solow, vice president and general manager. The firm claims to handle three-fourths of the tv film processing in that area, including network kinescopes. When completed, Mr. Solow said, the expanded Consolidated plant will have a blackand-white 35mm production potential almost double its present negative and positive output. Additional 16mm iacilities also are incorporated, with conversion quickly available for color processing. Second floor of the new annex will include eight film editing rooms and housing for 16mm and 35mm closed circuit tv projection facilities. Consolidated is a subsidiary of Republic Pictures Corp. Ziv Offers 3 Selling Aids To Sponsors of New Series THREE new selling aids for sponsors of a new tv film series, Highway Patrol, were announced last week by Ziv Television Programs Inc., New York. The items are an "enthuse" kit, a promotion kit and a safety kit. The "enthuse" kit, first used in connection with Ziv's Science Fiction Theatre, is designed to increase interest in a series within Ziv's selling force. The safety kit provides special safety promotions and tie-ins which offer sponsors a public service campaign based on highway safety. The promotion kit suggests community events with special attention to promoting safety in teen-age groups, giveaway booklets, four-color cartoon books and letters from Broderick Crawford to sponsor employes and their wives. FILM SALES Sterling Television Co., N. Y., has sold Animal Time to WKAR-TV East Lansing, Mich.; Sterling Spotlight Feature Package to WHO-TV Des Moines; For the Ladies to WFBM-TV Indianapolis; Tales of Tomorrow to Gambles stores for KOB-TV Albuquerque, N. M. Sportsvision Inc., S. F., reports renewals of All American Game of the Week by Southern Arizona Bank, Tucson, 3d year; Ford Dealers, Augusta, Ga.; Kauffman Buick, Spokane, Wash.; Hart Albin Co., Billings, Mont.; Pac-A-Sak Service grocery, Baton Rouge, Shreveport, La. Big-Ten Hi-Lites renewed by Smith Oil Co. for WTVO (TV) Rockford, 111., 3d year. Gridiron Cavalcade sold for showing on KGNC-TV Amarillo, Tex.; KFMB-TV San Diego, Calif.; WFBM-TV Indianapolis, Ind. Total sales for firm's four football film series is 62. NBC Film Div., N. Y., has sold Great Gildersleeve tv film series to Colonial Stores, Norfolk, Va., for 1 1 major southern markets, raising total markets to 65. Agency: Liller, Neal & Battle, Atlanta. MAC Studios, Chicago, has sold 77 feature films to KWTV (TV) Oklahoma City; 40 features to KANG-TV Waco, Tex.; 16 features to KFDM-TV Beaumont, Tex., and to Ziffrens Appliance Center for WOC-TV Davenport, Iowa; 52 short subjects to KTRK (TV) Houston, Tex. Sterling Television Co., N. Y., has sold Armchair Adventure and Kings Crossroads to Du quesne Brewing Co., Pittsburgh, with former to be presented on KDKA-TV Pittsburgh and latter on WJAC-TV Johnstown, Pa. FILM PRODUCTION Parsonnet & Wheeler, N. Y., announces production for NBC of 39-week film series based on original stories by James Jones, author of From Here to Eternity. Princeton Film Center, Princeton, N. J., has produced five tv film commercials featuring Norman Brokenshire for National Lead Co. (Dutch Boy paints), N. Y., which sponsors Mr. Brokenshire in The Handyman tv series. Agency: Marschalk & Pratt Div. of McCann-Erickson, N. Y. Danny Thomas' Marterto tv film production company is filming third season of 39-film Make Room for Daddy series in Hollywood. Program, seen Tues. on ABC-TV, stars Mr. Thomas, Jean Hagen, Rusty Hamer and Sherry Jackson and is produced by Louis F. Edelman with Sheldon Leonard directing. Show, alternately sponsored by American Tobacco Co. and Dodge Dealers, is continuing throughout summer with reruns. Four Star Productions will shoot 26 films of DuPont Cavalcade Theatre at RKO-Pathe Studios, Culver City, Calif. Series will debut Sept. 13 on ABC-TV (9:30-10 p.m.), sponsored by E. I. DuPont de Nemours & Co. (industrial chemicals), Wilmington, Del., as replacement for Cavalcade of America. DuPont agency: BBDO, N. Y. RANDOM SHOTS Circle Film Labs Inc., N. Y., is preparing pocket-size directory of film industry services available in N. Y. C, to be distributed free to agencies, industrial firms, film producers, program distributors and tv stations when completed. Storyboard Productions (tv spots), L. A., has moved to enlarged quarters, 8490 Melrose Ave. Transhlni Inc., N. Y., has established another unit for production of stop-motion tv commercials and other films at Bavaria film studios in Munich, Germany. Transfilm continues coproduction agreement with Joop Geesink's Dollywood studios in Amsterdam. Assn. Films, national distributor of industrysponsored free films, is discontinuing film exchange in Chicago and opening new, enlarged film exchange in La Grange, 111., 561 Hillgrove Ave. Bodde Screen Co. and Bodde Projector Co. have moved to 11541 Bradley Ave., San Fernando, Calif.; telephone: Empire 5-2551. FILM PEOPLE Don Zabel, assistant director, Kling Film Productions, Chicago, promoted to director; Jim O'Riley, director, transfers to syndicated div. as syndicated commercials director; Frank Toler, Nashville, Tenn., named Kling southern representative for film, art, photography, publications and sales training for Ga., Ala., Ky. and Tenn.„ William J. Carpenter, formerly with WHYNTV Springfield, Mass., and WTRI (TV) Albany N. Y., to NBC Film Div., N. Y., as sales representative. Joseph Cotton signed to host upcoming hourlong General Electric tv series being filmed for CBS-TV by TCF Television Productions, Hollywood. Page 64 • August 8, 1955 Broadcasting • Telecasting